I would like to start a general discussion about bridge stroke length. I am convinced there are a lot of differing opinions and there is no perfect answer so would like to get opinions and insight.
1. What I observe watching professionals is a very long bridge length in most situations.
2. What is taught by most instructors is a shorter bridge length.
3. A lot of emphasis in teaching is on extended follow through. The other concept is follow through equal to the length of the back swing.
Long bridge discussion: Just because the player takes a long bridge does not necessarily mean they take a long stroke. I see the pros with a 15" bridge take a 1" back stroke and 1" follow through on soft shots. Things I like about the long bridge are that it allows me to get down lower and more behind the ball to aim down the line. Of course I like it for power shots as I can accelerate more slowly and develop the power. I am ok with the shorter strokes for speed control but where I fail with it is in my precise position hit on the cue ball.
Short bridge discussion: As mentioned above I am more able to close my "circle of error" (Jerry Briesath's term for area of accuracy). It also does serve as a way to limit accidentally taking the cue back too far. The short bridge does seem to bring my body up and forward. I am looking more down on the shot than behind it. The perspective is different. This does create some issues for me if I switch back and forth. It is hard to develop two sets of visuals, one from on top and one from behind. But I feel this may be a necessary evil as some shots force you up. Shots like jumps or shooting over a ball, you just can't get way down so have to learn to "see" things from a different angle. I do struggle with all those from the top shots.
Finally follow through. In rotation games it is more common to be forced to shoot a variety of long shots since you have no control over which ball you will shoot next. The long bridge, long stroke and follow through are more common in this style. In games like 8 ball or straight pool where you can often choose a whole rack of short shots it is possible to play an entire rack and never use a full stroke or hit even one long shot. A short bridge, short stroke, limited follow through seem to be the order of the day for these games. I like the idea of an extended follow through for practice and training but in these types of games, especially on a bar box, there is often just not the room. I have literally had a ball come back and hit my stick because I was emphasizing a long follow through and taking the stick to the cloth so much in practice I didn't get out of my own way in an actual game.
I would love to hear from you about how long your bridge, stroke and follow through are, if you consistently use a long or short bridge, stoke and follow through, if you vary them a lot or go with one style more than the other, if you have changed over time or tried different ways, etc.
As for myself, I tend to bridge longer than my instructors suggest. At least two have told me to shorten my bridge. I don't intend to do a long bridge and don't "feel" it is very long but I must just slip into it. I don't do a 13-15" or anything like the pros but I am probably 8-10 vs. the 6-8 the instructors I have worked with recommend for me.
1. What I observe watching professionals is a very long bridge length in most situations.
2. What is taught by most instructors is a shorter bridge length.
3. A lot of emphasis in teaching is on extended follow through. The other concept is follow through equal to the length of the back swing.
Long bridge discussion: Just because the player takes a long bridge does not necessarily mean they take a long stroke. I see the pros with a 15" bridge take a 1" back stroke and 1" follow through on soft shots. Things I like about the long bridge are that it allows me to get down lower and more behind the ball to aim down the line. Of course I like it for power shots as I can accelerate more slowly and develop the power. I am ok with the shorter strokes for speed control but where I fail with it is in my precise position hit on the cue ball.
Short bridge discussion: As mentioned above I am more able to close my "circle of error" (Jerry Briesath's term for area of accuracy). It also does serve as a way to limit accidentally taking the cue back too far. The short bridge does seem to bring my body up and forward. I am looking more down on the shot than behind it. The perspective is different. This does create some issues for me if I switch back and forth. It is hard to develop two sets of visuals, one from on top and one from behind. But I feel this may be a necessary evil as some shots force you up. Shots like jumps or shooting over a ball, you just can't get way down so have to learn to "see" things from a different angle. I do struggle with all those from the top shots.
Finally follow through. In rotation games it is more common to be forced to shoot a variety of long shots since you have no control over which ball you will shoot next. The long bridge, long stroke and follow through are more common in this style. In games like 8 ball or straight pool where you can often choose a whole rack of short shots it is possible to play an entire rack and never use a full stroke or hit even one long shot. A short bridge, short stroke, limited follow through seem to be the order of the day for these games. I like the idea of an extended follow through for practice and training but in these types of games, especially on a bar box, there is often just not the room. I have literally had a ball come back and hit my stick because I was emphasizing a long follow through and taking the stick to the cloth so much in practice I didn't get out of my own way in an actual game.
I would love to hear from you about how long your bridge, stroke and follow through are, if you consistently use a long or short bridge, stoke and follow through, if you vary them a lot or go with one style more than the other, if you have changed over time or tried different ways, etc.
As for myself, I tend to bridge longer than my instructors suggest. At least two have told me to shorten my bridge. I don't intend to do a long bridge and don't "feel" it is very long but I must just slip into it. I don't do a 13-15" or anything like the pros but I am probably 8-10 vs. the 6-8 the instructors I have worked with recommend for me.
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